Conversion
by Ti Rhyse
Summary: Alternate ending to the season 3 episode "Into the Fire".  What happens when the team loses one of their own during the escape?  Has SG-1's luck finally run out?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **None of these wonderful characters are mine; I merely enjoy borrowing them from time to time.

**Timing:** This story is an alternate ending/continuation for the season 3 premiere "Into the Fire." The first chapter parallels the episode, but with a few major changes. Subsequent chapters will be completely AU.

**A/N: **This is an idea that has been floating around in my head since the first time I watched the episodes "Out of Mind"/"Into the Fire." The story is marked as Sam/Jack since they will be the two main characters, however, this is a team adventure/drama fic NOT a romantic story (the beginnings of certain feelings may be hinted at, but nothing beyond what was in the show during season 3). Enjoy! And as always I'd love to hear what you think =).

**Conversion**

Major General George Hammond grimaced as he exited the ancient goa'uld fighter and made his way towards the group of SGC personnel gathered in front of the stargate. Although he had managed to pull off a daring rescue, largely thanks to the help of Teal'c and Bra'tac, it seemed to have come too late for many of the airmen and marines under his command. As he scanned the crowd he realized that far too many good people were missing. While he had hopes that some of them had managed to escape into the woods he feared that most of them had met an unpleasant end at the hands of Hathor's jaffa.

"Where's Colonel O'Neill?" Hammond questioned as he stopped in front of Captain Samantha Carter and Dr. Daniel Jackson. Colonel Makepeace had mentioned having two members of SG-1 with him in his request for aid several hours earlier, but Hammond had been hopeful that the third had been found in the mean time. Unfortunately it appeared that wasn't the case.

"He was taken as a host, General." Daniel supplied with a frown.

"It's worse than that, sir," Sam added quickly, "he's dead."

"What? How?" Daniel spluttered before Hammond had a chance to respond to either of them. While Jack was still a host Daniel knew that there was still the remote chance they could get him back some day. If he was dead, however, he really was gone for good.

"I killed him." Sam admitted in a whisper. Daniel reached out and laid a comforting hand upon her shoulder; he could see the guilt and anguish written on her face. "I had no choice. He… he would have killed me." Sam struggled to suppress the tears she could feel beginning to well up behind her eyes.

"I'm sure you did what you had to, Captain." Hammond attempted to console her, although he knew that only time would heal the scars left in his young officer by the events of the day. He knew what it was like to lose a team member thanks to his service during Vietnam, and that was horrible enough. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be forced to kill your commanding officer and close friend; to be honest, he didn't even want to try. "I'll want to hear a full report, but first let's get you folks home. Lieutenant, dial it up!" He ordered as he ushered the three remaining survivors of SG-1 towards the stargate.

_SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1_

_Seven hours earlier…_

"Oh god… no…" Jack gasped as Hathor placed the squirming goa'uld atop his chest while he strained futilely against the bonds restraining him within the cryogenic chamber. Sam and Daniel watched in horror as the parasite slithered towards the back of his neck and then suddenly launched itself towards its target, quickly forcing itself into Jack's spinal column as he screamed. Sam squeezed her eyes shut as his voice died out and he began to twitch slightly, no doubt attempting to resist the invasion of his body. The scene before her caused her to momentarily relive some of her less than pleasant memories of her time with Jolinar. She knew firsthand the terror of being a prisoner within your own body. It had been bad enough with a tok'ra; she could only imagine how much worse the experience would be with a true goa'uld.

Jack twitched for several more minutes as the unseen struggle for control of his body continued to be waged. Each moment that passed the two human onlookers became more and more hopeful that somehow Jack would be able to resist being taken as a host. They knew deep down, however, that their friend was fighting a battle he would inevitably lose; it was only a matter of time. Suddenly Jack's movements came to a stop and his eyes popped open, flashing gold as they did.

"Release me." He commanded in the deep voice of a goa'uld. Receiving a slight nod from Hathor two of her jaffa rushed forward and quickly released the straps anchoring his arms to the inside of the chamber. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and quickly scanned his surroundings before climbing out of the pod and approaching Hathor.

"Kneel before me, my prince. You will be the first new goa'uld in my new empire." Hathor ordered as he positioned himself in front of her.

"Yes, my queen." He responded dropping respectfully to one knee and bowing his head slightly in submission.

"What is your name?" She questioned as she motioned for him to rise once again.

"Husani"

"A fitting name with a host such as yours," Hathor chuckled.

Glancing backwards she motioned for one of the Jaffa positioned along the back wall to come forward. He quickly approached and offered a goa'uld hand device to Husani with a slight bow. After fitting the device onto his right hand he experimentally flexed his fingers several times before looking back to Hathor with a pleased grin. Seeing the all too familiar face of Colonel O'Neill light up at the thought of inflicting pain caused bile to begin rising in the back of Sam's throat. It was an expression that was painfully familiar, but at the same time seemed incredibly alien.

"What of them?" Husani asked turning towards his host's former teammates with disdain evident upon his face.

"Kill them."

Husani gave Hathor a brief nod before turning towards Sam and Daniel. Although she wanted to turn away Sam forced herself to meet the brown eyes of her executioner. Despite what the goa'uld always claimed about their hosts, Sam knew that the Colonel was still in there somewhere. As Husani raised his hand aiming the hand device towards her forehead Sam hoped that her steady gaze would reassure what was left of her commanding officer that she didn't blame him. That there was no reason for him to feel guilt over the actions his captor was about to take. For a split second Sam thought she saw a flash of regret pass over Husani's face before he triggered the hand device and she was forced to her knees with a strangled gasp as a stream of yellow light bored into her head.

Sam felt consciousness begin to slip away as the pain in her head became increasingly intense and black spots began to swim before her eyes. Suddenly the pain stopped. As she collapsed into a heap on the concrete floor she faintly registered the sounds of shouting and gunfire in the distance. The cavalry was finally here, it seemed. Although this time it seemed they had arrived too late; at least for Colonel O'Neill.

"We will deal with them later. Take them away." Hathor ordered one of the assembled jaffa as she and Husani quickly exited the room. Daniel helped Sam shakily to her feet and helped to support her weight as they were prodded into the hallway of Hathor's complex through a different exit. As they were roughly shoved around one of the corners into a new hallway Sam and Daniel suddenly found themselves face to face with Colonel Makepeace and a group of SG team members.

"Surrender your prisoners and drop your weapons!" Colonel Makepeace called out the minute they were in view. Taking advantage of the jaffa's momentary surprise Sam elbowed him in the stomach while Daniel grabbed for his zat. Both of them then quickly dove out of the way as the assembled SG teams opened fire.

"Colonel Makepeace." Sam greeted.

"Where's Colonel O'Neill?"

"He's been taken as a host." Sam explained with a grimace.

"What?" Makepeace exclaimed as he looked back and forth between Sam and Daniel in disbelief.

_SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1_

Sam's mind was swimming as she quietly made her way through the maze of tok'ra tunnels in what she believed to be the direction of Hathor's base. In the past hour and a half she had witnessed her CO be taken as a host, nearly been killed by said goa'uld, been rescued, and lastly been cut off from the stargate and forced to retreat into a network of caves apparently of tok'ra design. It was simply too much for the mind to process at once. As she noticed the floor of the cave begin to slope upwards Sam tightened her grip on her rifle and shook her head slightly as if the motion would help her to clear her mind. She knew she needed to focus on the mission at hand if she was to have any hope of success, much less survival.

Sam continued to follow the tunnel upwards until she reached a dead end. She wanted to lash out in frustration; she was so sure she had been going the right way. She began to scan the walls on either side of the barrier in front of her, hoping for any sign of a switch or control panel. Sam didn't see anything at first and had nearly convinced herself that she must have taken a wrong turn somewhere when she noticed that a small area of the floor was slightly raised. The raised area was lodged into the corner where the right hand wall met the back of the tunnel and was barely the size of a standard cell phone. If she hadn't been carefully looking for a trigger she never would have seen it. As it was she wasn't even sure that it was a switch. Chances were just as good that it was a natural imperfection in the tunnel; still, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to try.

Gingerly stepping forward Sam pressed the toe of her boot down onto the raised portion of the floor. She let out a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding when the solid wall of crystal in front of her slid silently to one side revealing a store room that was obviously goa'uld in design. Making it in was the easy part, however. Now she had to find her way to the power generator while avoiding capture herself.

Sam quietly made her way to the store room's entrance and slowly poked her head outside. Finding the coast clear she quickly retrieved a power monitor from her belt and balanced it on the barrel of her rifle. Picking a direction she began to proceed down the corridor all the while monitoring the energy readings of her surroundings. Although she had to back track several times when a corridor took her away from the energy source Sam eventually found herself back in the mockup of the SGC's gateroom. The readings were off the charts; surely the generators had to be somewhere nearby.

Glancing around the room Sam looked for any clues as to how to access the generators. She knew that they must be massive to supply enough energy to power the barrier, but based on the energy readings she should be right on top of them. Suddenly Sam spotted a lever to the left of the stargate. As she pulled down on the lever the paneling behind the stargate began to open revealing a huge room containing the goa'uld generators. She began making her way towards the mock stargate and the room beyond when she heard a noise behind her. Sam whipped around and began to squeeze the trigger of her rifle when she found herself forcefully thrown off her feet and slammed into the side of the stargate. The force of the impact knocked the wind out of her and she slid to the ground stunned. The string of bullets she had managed to fire harmlessly impacted the ceiling.

"You humans really are so predictable. I knew that if any of you were stupid enough to return you would make your way here." Husani gloated as he approached where Sam lay attempting to catch her breath.

As the goa'uld neared her Sam took a mental inventory of her options. She had dropped her rifle when she hit the stargate and it was lying several feet away from her. Her pistol was still strapped to her leg, but it was in plain sight of Husani. Remembering the knife hanging behind her back Sam slowly shifted her weight hoping she could reach it without attracting his notice. Luckily she had landed with her arm slightly behind her making it easier to grab the weapon without moving too much.

"I will enjoy killing you. The anguish it will undoubtedly cause my host will be most pleasing; in fact he is beginning to scream in fury already." Husani continued as he once again raised his hand device towards Sam's forehead.

Preoccupied with his gloating, Husani failed to notice that Sam had managed to free her knife from its sheath. She knew she needed to act and what her only option was, but she was desperately trying to think of another way. She wasn't sure she could bring herself to kill the Colonel, whether he was currently host to a goa'uld or not. The human instinct for self preservation kicked in, however, as Husani began to raise Colonel O'Neill's arm towards her. She quickly drew her arm out from behind her and with a flick of her wrist sent the knife sailing towards his chest. It impacted with a sickening sound and Husani's eyes widened in surprise as he stared briefly at the hilt of the weapon sticking out of his chest before sagging to the ground.

She watched frozen in horror as the patch of red staining the front of his ornate robes grew larger and larger as his breathing became shallow. As he took his last breath Husani's eyes flashed gold a final time before his head fell to the side. Sam rushed forward with a strangled cry and knelt beside the body of her friend and CO. Tears had begun to stream down her face. Sam had been hopeful that they would somehow find a way to capture Husani and that the Tok'ra could help return the Colonel to them. That was impossible now thanks to her actions, and Sam wasn't sure how she was going to live with herself. Deep down she knew she had done the only thing she could, and that Colonel O'Neill would likely have thanked her for saving him from a life of slavery. However, those thoughts did nothing to lessen the pain caused by knowing that he was gone forever; and that ultimately it was because of her.

Sam reached out hesitantly and closed the Colonel's eyes before gently caressing his face once. She wanted to gather his head into her lap and surrender herself to her emotions, but knew she had to keep control long enough to accomplish her mission. The rest of the SGC personnel trapped in the tok'ra tunnels were counting on her.

She quickly made her way towards the generators and strategically placed C4 around the areas she could reach. Making her way back into the replica of the gateroom she pulled the lever once again, resealing the hidden compartment behind the stargate. Sam felt a sob rising in her throat as she turned to find herself once again facing the lifeless body of the Colonel. She grimaced as she realized she would have to do something with him. She couldn't afford for anyone to become suspicious before reinforcements arrived and she was able to blow the generators. She finally settled on dragging him underneath the ramp of the stargate so at least he would be out of plain sight should anyone pass by the room. It was almost physically painful for Sam to leave the Colonel in that state. She desperately wished that there was a way she could take him with her so he could at least receive a proper burial, but she knew there was no way she could manage it on her own. As tears once again began to stream silently down her face Sam gripped her rifle and began to quietly make her way out of Hathor's base.

_SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1_

"I managed to make it out of one of the side entrances of Hathor's complex and took up position on a ridge overlooking the stargate. That allowed me to wait until you arrived, Sir, before blowing the generators." Sam finished her explanation of the terrible events that had taken place earlier in the day.

"He could still be alive." Daniel announced with determination from across the briefing room table.

"No he couldn't, Daniel. I watched him die… I… I killed him."

"But if Hathor has a sarcophagus…"

"I doubt she does, Daniel. We destroyed hers here in the SGC and I don't see how she could have managed to procure a new one if she is maintaining a low profile as she said. Not to mention the fact that he was so close to the generators I don't see how anything would have survived the blast to be put into a sarcophagus even if Hathor has one. I'm sorry… I would do anything to get him back, but I just don't see how he could possibly be alive." Sam explained in a defeated voice before resting her head in her hands in despair. Now that the adrenaline was gone the truth of what she had been forced to do was slowly sinking in; she wished that it wasn't. She hadn't felt this emotionally fragile since the death of her mother.

"Unfortunately I have to agree with Captain Carter. We will still take all of the necessary precautions, but I am officially declaring Colonel O'Neill 'killed in action'." Hammond responded. Everyone present could hear the pain in his voice. The loss of Colonel O'Neill was a tragedy that was made immeasurably worse by the additional loss of so many other fine officers. This would forever be a black day in the history of the SGC.

_SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1_

Hathor gazed smugly at the golden sarcophagus lying along one wall of her small cargo ship. She had been lucky to stumble across the item while recruiting jaffa from Apophis's former territory.

When Husani had failed to respond to her calls, she had sent several of her jaffa in search of him. His body had finally been found wedged underneath the ramp of the fake stargate. Unfortunately the jaffa had not known of the location of the generators and by the time she was informed of where Husani had been found it was too late to stop the massive explosion and subsequent destruction of her compound. It was no matter though. She had already retreated to her Tel'tak to begin Husani's revival, and with the leader of SG-1 as host to her new prince she no longer had any use for her mock up of the SGC. He would provide her with all the information she would ever need. And with luck the rest of the meddlesome Tau'ri would believe him dead. With Husani's help she would finally be able to complete her plan to build an army large enough to rival the system lords; and all without the fear of dealing with rescue missions aimed at retrieving his valuable host. Yes, things had gone much better than she had originally planned, Hathor mused with a sly grin.

_To be continued…_

**A/N: I know some of you probably hate me right now, but I hope you stick with the story anyway =). I will do my best to keep the updates coming fairly quickly, but I'm pretty busy at the moment so they probably won't come every day. I hope you enjoyed it (as much as you can enjoy what I did to poor Jack)!**

**Also, Husani = handsome.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews and alerts! I'm glad you all are enjoying it so far. Sorry it took me a while to update. I've been pretty busy recently and it seems I have more hobbies than I do free time. Not necessarily a bad problem to have, but it does slow down my writing a bit =).**

**For conversations between Jack and Husani, Jack's thoughts will be written in **_**italics**_** and Husani's in bold type. Memories are bracketed between sets of ~J~ and should also be fairly obvious. Hopefully things don't get too confusing.**

**~Chapter 2~**

Sam rushed from the briefing room as soon as General Hammond dismissed SG-1 and made a beeline for her lab. She had nearly broken down several times during the debriefing, but had somehow managed to hold on to her composure by the barest thread. Now that she no longer had something to focus on, however, all of the grief and guilt she felt over the Colonel's death (and her part in it) were rapidly bubbling to the surface. SG-1 had been placed on stand down until after the memorial service and Sam knew she should change and go home. She wasn't ready to face the prospect of the crowded locker room, however. She didn't think she could stand the looks of horror and pity she was sure to receive from the other women. News of the tragedy was rapidly spreading throughout the base and she hadn't missed the nervous glances being sent in her direction. No one seemed to know exactly what to say or how to react to her. Hell, she didn't even know how to react to the events herself.

Stumbling through the doorway of her lab Sam didn't even bother to turn on the lights. She made her way towards the wall behind her workbench and collapsed onto the floor, her forearms supporting her head as she lowered it onto her raised knees. Sobs began to rack her body as she finally allowed herself to succumb to her emotions. Several minutes later Sam was startled to feel a slight pressure against both of her shoulders, she hadn't even realized someone else had entered her lab. Raising her head from her knees Sam found herself sandwiched between Daniel and Teal'c. They had settled onto the floor next to her and were sitting close enough that their shoulders were gently brushing hers.

Sam was about to ask them to go away and leave her to her misery when she finally noticed the grief stricken expressions on their faces. She had been so caught up in her own grief that she hadn't even stopped to think about how her other teammates were handling their friend's death. They both looked just as bad as she felt, although she couldn't help but feel jealous that at least they could grieve without guilt hanging over their heads; unlike her.

"I'm sorry." Sam mumbled as she dropped her forehead back down onto her knees.

"For what reason are you sorry, Captain Carter? I am unaware of any actions taken by you that would require such a sentiment." Teal'c questioned.

"It's my fault he's dead. I should have found some other way…" Sam responded as she jerked her head back up and stared at Teal'c in disbelief. Hadn't he been listening to her explanation of events during the debriefing?

"You did not kill Colonel O'Neill. Hathor did that when she implanted him with a mature symbiote. You killed the goa'uld Husani, which any of us would have done in your position. Without your actions the shield would have remained active and we would all likely be dead. I am certain a warrior such as Colonel O'Neill would have been proud of your actions this day."

"He's right." Daniel chimed in from her right side. "From what you said you had no choice. No one blames you for what you did, Sam; and you shouldn't either. I can't even begin to imagine what you are going through, and to be honest I'm not sure I would have been able to do it; but that doesn't change the fact that ultimately you did the right thing."

"Then why doesn't it feel like the right thing?" Sam let out a frustrated sigh. "Every time I close my eyes I see the look on his face as he died. I can't stop running the events through my head and trying to think of anything I could have done differently to avoid this. I was so sure that once we escaped we would be able to mount a rescue mission and eventually get him help from the Tok'ra, but now he's gone forever."

"Yes, he is, and I will miss my best friend more than I can ever describe, but I don't want to lose you too. And the combination of guilt and grief can be a nasty thing. Trust me, I saw Jack after the death of his son. I don't think I could handle seeing you that way. Please don't let your guilt tear you apart."

"It's not that easy, Daniel. Deep down I know I had no choice, but it doesn't change the way I feel. And no matter what anyone says Colonel O'Neill died at my hand. Nothing will ever change that and right now I don't see how I'll ever be able to live with myself." Sam felt her eyes beginning to fill with tears of despair once again.

"You are strong, Captain Carter. It will take time, but I am positive you will find a way." Teal'c insisted.

"I wish I could be so sure." Sam sighed as she rested her head back onto her knees and once again let her tears fall. She still felt terrible but was able to take some small comfort from the support of her friends. As she felt the steady pressure of their shoulders as they leaned closer against her, she was thankful that no matter what happened SG-1 would always be there for each other.

_SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1_

_Meanwhile on Hathor's ship..._

As Jack awoke he was momentarily confused as to where he was and how he had gotten there. Taking in the golden ceiling above his head he quickly realized that he was in some sort of goa'uld ship or base and immediately attempted to sit up so that he could investigate his surroundings more thoroughly and hopefully make his escape. As he tried in vain to move, however, Jack came to the horrifying realization that he was completely and utterly paralyzed. It was then that the events of the past day came flooding back to him. He had a snake in his head. Jack's mind recoiled as he felt his body begin to move apparently of its own accord. Being a silent bystander within his own body was enough to make his skin crawl; if it was really even his skin anymore he thought with a mental grimace.

"Welcome back, Husani, you have arisen just in time. We will reach our main compound shortly. For now you may do as you please. I imagine you will enjoy having time to become better… 'acquainted' with your host." Hathor greeted as Husani turned Jack's body to face her.

"Yes, my queen." Husani replied with a slight bow before proceeding to the back of the cargo hold and seating himself against the wall.

As his body settled against the wall, Jack once again began to contemplate the horrors of his situation. He truly wished that there had been no sarcophagus in which to revive him. He had felt relief when Carter's knife had pierced his chest the day before. Not only because it meant that she would have the chance to once again escape from death, but also because it meant that he would at least be free. Death would have been preferable to a life spent as a slave to the goa'uld inhabiting his head.

**I am not a goa'uld.** A voice suddenly echoed strangely through Jack's mind, interrupting his thoughts. That was new… and odd. He really wasn't in the mood to talk to the parasite currently holding him captive in his own body.

_You sure looked like a snake to me when you slithered your way into the back of my skull. _Jack retorted.

**I am Khepri of the Tok'ra.**

_I thought you said your name was Husani_.

**Husani is merely the name I chose to give Hathor. I could not take the risk that she would recognize my true name as belonging to a Tok'ra.**

_Sorry, but I'm not buying it. Last time I checked tok'ra don't come out of the belly of a jaffa. And what about the sharing? If you're a tok'ra aren't you supposed to share the host? I haven't noticed a whole lot of sharing… just a bunch of invading. _While Jack desperately wanted to believe that Husani or Khepri or whatever its name was, was telling the truth; it just didn't add up. He simply couldn't see how it was possible.

**I will explain everything in due time. But for now as a gesture of good faith I will give you back control of your body… if you agree to make no foolish attempts at escape. I cannot afford for you to draw unnecessary attention to us.**

_Fine._ While Jack still had no doubt that the snake was in a fact a goa'uld, he was willing to agree to cooperate for the moment; if only to be able to have some measure of control again.

Jack suddenly felt something change. He didn't think he would ever be able to explain to anyone else exactly what it was, but he instantly knew that he was in control once again. He began to clench and unclench his fists, relishing in the feeling of moving his own joints. Turning his head slightly to glance around the cargo bay he realized that Hathor was now gone and he was alone in the room. Tensing the muscles in his legs he briefly considered attempting to stand before the voice in his head stopped him.

**I would remind you that I know exactly what you are thinking and that I can retake control at any moment. It would serve you well to remain seated.**

_See now, threats like that don't really help your 'I'm a friendly snake' case._

**I am not a snake! **Khepri practically yelled inside Jack's head. Apparently he had hit a sore point, Jack thought smugly. He always did love to push his captor's buttons; even if it did generally land him in more trouble than he was already in. **And I have told you I will explain everything.**

_You know, whatever crazy explanation you manage to come up with would have been a lot easier to swallow if you'd done the explaining when you first squirmed your way into my head. As it is I'm not sure how you expect me to believe a word you say. Especially after you tried to kill Carter… twice! That doesn't seem to be a very 'tok'ra' like thing to do if you ask me._

**My actions against Captain Carter were unfortunate, although necessary. It was imperative that I acted as a true goa'uld in order to gain Hathor's trust. And as to the timing of my explanation, would you really have believed me any more when I first blended with you?**

_Well, no… but that's not the point._ Jack pouted; annoyed that the snake had called him out on that one.

**It is exactly the point. I suspected that you would not believe me based on words alone, and I did not have time to properly convince you while also dealing with Hathor.**

_And how to do expect to convince me now? With you stuck inside my head I don't see how you can do much more than talk and I thought we already established that I don't believe a word you say._

**Now that we are blended we are able to share our memories. I will simply show you.**

As Khepri finished speaking a scene began to play through Jack's mind.

~J~

Jack was making his way briskly through a series of tunnels and judging by their crystalline structure they were of Tok'ra design. Passing through a doorway he found himself entering a small room containing a simple bed, a chair, and a table that seemed to act as both dresser and desk. As he entered a man rose from where he was reading what seemed to be reports and turned to face his visitor. Jack was surprised to find himself face to face with Jacob, and even more surprised to find that he barely reached his shoulder. He supposed Khepri's former host was much smaller than himself.

"You wished to see me Selmak?" Khepri questioned in a voice that was distinctly female, although slightly distorted in the speech common to a symbiote. That would explain the height difference Jack thought in passing as the memory continued on.

"Yes, the council has received reports that Hathor seems to have resurfaced. It appears that she is attempting to discretely recruit jaffa and salvage ships and equipment from the former territories of Apophis and Heru'ur. We need to figure out what she is planning if we are to determine what kind of threat she may pose to us and to our allies." Selmak explained.

"And you wish for me to attempt to infiltrate her ranks? Would she not be suspicious of the presence of another goa'uld?" Khepri questioned.

"There are rumors that she has also obtained several cryogenic chambers, although we do not know what purpose she may have for them. It is likely she will need a scientist to aid in their operation, making you perfect for this assignment." As Selmak finished speaking Jacob's head dropped briefly to his chest and when it rose again Jacob was once again in control.

"Good luck, Raully. This one is risky." Jacob addressed Khepri's host.

"What mission isn't, Jacob?" Jack heard himself (or rather Khepri's) host say in a very familiar voice before turning to exit the room once again.

Jack's mind was spinning as he processed the memory he had just witnessed. He was still feeling pretty skeptical about the whole tok'ra thing, but he had to admit that what he just saw was pretty convincing. Although there were still several major questions left unanswered.

~J~

_Raully, Hathor's assistant, was your host?_

**Yes.** As Khepri responded Jack felt a wave of tremendous grief pass over him as another memory leapt unbidden to the front of his mind.

~J~

Hathor was leading himself and Raully through the tunnels of her compound when her small handheld communications device suddenly activated and Trofsky's face appeared on its spherical surface.

"They have fled into tunnels of tok'ra construction. There must be a spy amongst us." The jaffa reported, referring to the SGC personnel attempting to rescue SG-1 from Hathor's compound.

"What?" Hathor bellowed as she threw the device against the nearby wall in anger and rounded quickly on the two goa'uld following behind her. "You!" She screamed as raised her hand and flung Raully against the far wall with her hand device. Jack felt his body cringe as he watched the woman slide to the ground limply. He could tell that it was all Khepri could do to not rush to the woman's side.

"It is not me, my queen." Raully protested in a gasp from where she lay sagged against the wall. "I have been nothing but loyal to you, I swear."

"You are the only one of our servants who is not Jaffa. You will die for this betrayal Tok'ra." Hathor practically spit her last words out as she raised the hand device once again and the distinctive beam of yellow light began to project directly into Raully's forehead. As Khepri was forced to helplessly watch the death of her former host Jack could feel the emotions raging through his body. He was nearly overwhelmed by the intense feelings of rage, grief, and helplessness that were coursing through him.

~J~

**She was my host for nearly 100 years. I wanted to do nothing more than to choke the life out of Hathor myself. Standing by an****d watching her death was no doubt the hardest thing I have ever done. I was hoping to be able to blend with her once again when this mission was over, now I will never have that chance. I would give anything to be able to get her back.**

_I'm sorry._ Jack was somewhat surprised to find that he actually meant it. He was slowly beginning to believe that Khepri truly was a Tok'ra. Jack was no stranger to the intense grief such a tragedy produced. He had no doubt that the feelings evoked by the previous memory were real. _Why was I not able to feel your emotions when that actually happened? I've felt most of what you are feeling since I woke up, but I don't remember feeling anything before that._

**Simply put, you were in shock. Your mind was barely capable of processing your own situation, much less the emotions coming from me. It is common among new hosts, even those who are volunteers. It takes some time for the blending to completely stabilize.**

_I suppose that makes sense. _Jack admitted grudgingly._ And as much as I really hate to admit it, these memories are pretty damn convincing. There's still one thing I can't figure out; how the hell did you end up in Hathor's jaffa instead of Raully?_

**Raully and I were trying to come up with some way of preventing any of SG-1 from being taken as a goa'uld when an opportunity presented itself.**

As a third memory began to run through Jack's head he found himself in the very odd position of watching himself from someone else's eyes.

~J~

Jack watched from Khepri's point of view as he lay writhing in agony on the ramp of the mock stargate as the goa'uld symbiote scurried away from him. He had just been zatted to prevent himself from permanently damaging the creature.

"Return it to the safety of the Jaffa." Hathor ordered before glancing in the direction where the symbiote had disappeared. "And take him someplace he can be properly restrained." She continued before stalking out of the room.

As Khepri made her way to where the symbiote had disappeared Raully began to discuss with her the opportunity that had just presented itself.

_We may be able to use this to our advantage._

**How so?** Khepri questioned. She was afraid she knew where her host's train of thought had gone and did not relish the idea.

_If you were to leave me and allow yourself to be placed inside the jaffa we can ensure that Colonel O'Neill is not taken by a goa'uld. We cannot afford to allow Hathor access to the information he knows. It would be damaging to the Tok'ra as well as the Tau'ri._

**We have been together for so long, my friend. I do not like the idea of being separated from you. Not to mention the fact that I find the idea of inhabiting the pouch of a jaffa to be repulsive.**

_I never said I liked the idea. _Raully rebutted. _But I can't see any other way, can you?_

**No; unfortunately we do not seem to have any other option. **Khepri finally conceded. Jack could tell that she was terribly upset by the idea, but was doing her duty just as he had done on many occasions in the service to his country. Maybe they weren't so different after all he thought as the memory proceeded; although he would never admit that to another living soul.

As Khepri crouched behind the stargate's ramp where the symbiote had taken refuge she quickly glanced behind her to ensure that the lone remaining jaffa was not in her line of sight. She quickly reached down and grabbed the goa'uld between both hands before snapping its neck with a quick flick of her wrists before tucking the dead parasite discretely into the folds of her robes. Jack then felt an extremely odd sensation as Khepri prepared to leave her host's body. Everything suddenly went dark as the tok'ra detached itself from Raully's spinal cord and prepared to exit her body as gently as possible through her throat. As Khepri emerged from her host Raully gently caught her in her hands and then stood somewhat shakily before making her way back towards the waiting jaffa.

~J~

The memory concluded just before Khepri was implanted in the jaffa. Jack was extremely glad that it had. He had no desire to experience what it was like on the inside of a jaffa and it appeared Khepri was in no rush to relive the moment.

**Do you believe me now?**

_I suppose I do, but I want you out of here ASAP, I'm not too happy about having to share my body, no matter how nice of a Tok'ra you seem to be._

**I understand. And believe me when I say I did not enjoy having to take an unwilling host. It goes against everything that we stand for. You have my word that I will find a new host as soon as possible, but first we must complete my mission. It would be beneficial to both of our people to discover how Hathor plans to regain power.**

_Fine. _Jack groused. He really wanted to make a run for it the minute they landed, but he knew that Khepri was right; they had a responsibility to find out all they could.

**I will have to maintain control of your body while we are near Hathor, but as long as you work with me I am content to be a passenger the rest of the time. Just try not to provoke the jaffa. I've heard many stories of your… antics.**

_I'm flattered._

**I did not mean that as a compliment. **Khepri muttered. She could tell she was going to have her hands full dealing with her new host.

_SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1_

**A/N: To make this story work I made the assumption that since Raully would have retained naquedah in her blood stream, Hathor would not have noticed the slight difference between host and former host in the middle of everything else that was occurring. I also, chose to refer to Khepri as female since her previous host was female.**

**I apologize that this chapter is a bit heavy on explanation and light on action, but it was necessary to move the story forward. As always, I'd love to hear what you thought =).**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **This chapter is quite a bit shorter than what I had originally planned for Chapter 3, but there was a perfect place to break things up and I wanted to get something posted for you all before I headed out of town for several days. I already have most of Chapter 4 written (which originally would have been the second half of Chapter 3) so hopefully I'll have another update for you on Monday or Tuesday of next week.

As in previous chapters host dialogue is written in _italics_ and tok'ra dialogue is written in **bold.**

**~Chapter 3~**

As Jack and Khepri waited for Hathor's ship to reach its final destination Jack's mind began to wander to the rest of his team. He wanted to believe that SG-1 had managed to pull off another miraculous escape. He knew that there was also a possibility that they had been captured or killed, but Hathor's lack of gloating seemed to indicate otherwise. Goa'uld were not know for being humble, and the death of SG-1 certainly would have boosted her already large ego. Holding to the belief that they were indeed safe and sound back at the SGC, Jack began to imagine what they might be up to.

Were they still holding onto hope that he had somehow survived, although as host to a goa'uld; and planning a mission designed to capture him and remove the symbiote? He almost felt sorry for General Hammond if they were. He could picture his teammates harassing him endlessly as they tried to plead their case. Either Daniel or Carter alone was a force to be reckoned with when they felt strongly about a situation. God help whoever had to deal with both of them together. And Teal'c, well, Jack was fairly certain he wouldn't take no for an answer if he had it in his mind to mount a rescue mission; no matter what the SGC's official stance was on the matter.

Or did they truly believe he was dead? Were they in the process of planning his memorial service? Had Carter, Daniel, and Teal'c been sent to clear out his house as they had done when Daniel was presumed dead? God, he hoped not. It had taken Daniel months to track down his belongings and there were several items that had ended up missing entirely. If someone sold his house, or even worse his extensive collection of recorded Simpsons episodes, heads would roll. Although if he was being honest with himself, Jack knew that it wasn't the risk to his personal belongings that bothered him most about being presumed dead; it was the impact he knew it would have on his team. He hated thinking of them being torn apart by grief.

As thoughts of his death began to pass through his mind, Jack became increasingly worried about Carter. Although a knife in the chest hadn't been the most… pleasant way to die, Jack didn't blame her in the least. In fact, not knowing that he was in fact blended with a tok'ra, he had been immensely thankful for death at the time; it was preferable to a life spent imprisoned in his own body. He was actually extremely proud of her. She had done what was necessary in an unimaginably difficult situation, and he knew he would have done exactly the same thing in her place. He also knew that he would have a hard time recovering from it. He honestly wasn't sure he would be able to; the thought of being forced to kill another member of SG-1 was gut wrenching.

Jack desperately wanted to find some way to contact them, to let them know that he was okay. Well, relatively speaking; he didn't think he would ever be completely okay as long as he was sharing his head, but the alternatives to his current situation would have been much, much worse. When given a choice between death, a goa'uld, and a tok'ra; the tok'ra was the obvious choice. Jack knew that contact was impossible for the moment, however. Each communication with Khepri's small device would be a risk, and they would have to reserve its use for passing on information concerning Hathor's plans. Personal messages would have to wait.

**You care for them deeply.** Khepri stated, interrupting his thoughts.

_Of course I do. We've been through a lot together, they've become like family to me._

**I am truly sorry for the actions I took against Captain Carter.** **Believe me, if there had been any other choice I would never have attacked her. **

As Khepri spoke Jack could feel genuine remorse flowing through his mind and deep down he accepted that she really hadn't had a choice. He kept reminding himself that there was no way Khepri could have ignored Hathor's order to kill Carter and Daniel after the blending without instantly raising suspicion. He also knew that if Hathor or any of her Jaffa had come across them helping Carter to destroy the generator things would have been equally worse. Still, it didn't completely erase the anger that he felt over the fact that the she had nearly killed Carter on more than one occasion.

**I do not blame you for your anger or expect your forgiveness. I merely wished you to know that it pained me greatly to do what I did. I have gotten to know Jacob Carter quite well since he became host to Selmak and he has shared many stories of his daughter. Her loss would have been a tragedy not only to the Tau'ri, but to the Tok'ra as well.**

_Yes, it would have._ Jack agreed. He knew he should say more… offer his forgiveness regardless of his personal feelings, but he simply couldn't; not yet.

Thankfully Jack was saved from further conversation with his resident tok'ra by the appearance of Hathor and a small entourage of jaffa. Jack felt the odd sensation of Khepri retaking control of his body as she rose to meet the goa'uld.

"We have arrived at our destination, Husani. It would please us greatly if you would accompany us down to the surface; there is much for you to see." As Hathor spoke she moved to stand in the center of the ring platform that was present in the cargo hold, motioning for Jack to join her there.

"Yes, my Queen." Khepri responded as she moved Jack's body forward to position herself next to, and slightly behind Hathor on the platform. As one of her attendant jaffa joined them, Hathor motioned for another to activate the rings.

As the blinding light of the rings faded Jack began to take in his surroundings as Khepri panned his head slightly to either side. They were standing in a moderately sized clearing in the middle of a dense forest filled with trees that looked remarkably similar to pines. Even after several years filled with gate travel, Jack still marveled at the similarities between planets. Positioned in orderly rows throughout the clearing there were approximately ten small ships of a design Jack was unfamiliar with. They were a bit larger than a glider and triangular in shape. Hearing a rumbling overhead Khepri craned their head upward and he realized that they had just been ringed down from a similar craft. As they watched, it settled gently down at the end of one of the rows and several more Jaffa disembarked.

**They are called Tel'taks.** Khepri supplied sensing Jack's curiosity as he surveyed the rows of ships. **A rough translation would be 'cargo ship.'**

_Ah._ Jack responded. While he wasn't surprised to find that the goa'uld possessed a class of ship that the SGC wasn't aware of, he was a little shocked that they hadn't arrived in a mother ship. He and Khepri had remained in the room containing the sarcophagus and rings for the entirety of the short voyage and he had mistakenly assumed that it was one room in a much larger ship. He supposed it made sense though; after all there probably weren't a lot of spare goa'uld mother ships lying around.

Hathor began to lead the way between the rows of cargo ships towards a steep cliff on the northern side of the clearing that seemed to have a doorway inserted into its rocky face. There were two jaffa standing guard on either side of the doorway and as Hathor approached one of them quickly began to punch an access code into a small panel to the right side of the doorway. The door quietly slid sideways into the rock wall revealing a large cavern opening up beyond the entrance.

As they followed Hathor into the cavern Jack felt a wave of fear pass through his body as both he and Khepri took in the sight before them. He wasn't sure if the fear was coming from him or from the tok'ra, but he imagined it was both. The room that had opened up before them was immense, and lining the walls as far as the eye could see where glass tanks teaming with goa'uld larvae. It seemed Hathor had been quite busy since her escape from the SGC, there were enough symbiotes to form the beginnings of a decently sized army; assuming enough Jaffa could be found. And Jack knew first hand that with Hathor that wouldn't be an issue, she'd merely create her own.

"It is impressive, is it not?" Hathor questioned taking in the stunned look on Jack's face. Even Khepri had been unable to contain her shock at the sight before them.

"Yes, my Queen." Khepri responded, just barely keeping herself from stammering.

"And this is only the beginning. Once these larvae have been implanted into our new Jaffa, we will begin to create even more of our children. Before long we will control an army with numbers surpassing even those of the most powerful system lords. And with the knowledge of your host, Husani, we will have an easy source of humans with which to build the ranks of our jaffa. There is one planet yet unclaimed by any system lord whose population is large enough to fuel a seemingly endless army; Earth."

_Oh crap._ This was bad, Jack instantly decided; very, very bad.


	4. Chapter 4

**~Chapter 4~**

_Two weeks later…_

General Hammond had just finished his mountain of morning paperwork and was making a cursory inspection of the control room before heading to lunch when the emergency klaxons began blaring.

"Unscheduled off world activation," Sgt Harriman announced loudly as the gate began to spin in the large room below them. General Hammond grimaced as he made his way to stand behind the airman's shoulder. He had several teams currently off world and he prayed that another mission hadn't gone sour. He didn't think the base could handle the loss of more of its people so soon after the tragedy on Hathor's planet.

"Receiving an IDC, sir," Harriman continued, "It's the tok'ra."

"Open the iris," Hammond ordered, breathing a sigh of relief. It seemed that his teams had been spared from further disaster, at least for the moment.

He hurried down to the gate room and arrived just in time to see the ripples in the event horizon shift as a familiar figure exited the wormhole.

"Hey, George," Jacob greeted as he made his way down the ramp into the gate room.

"Jacob, it's good to see you again." Hammond responded as the two men shook hands.

"Likewise, although I wish I was here under better circumstances," Jacob continued as his expression turned serious.

"We missed you at the memorial service last week, but I understand you were on a mission and couldn't be recalled," Hammond stated, assuming that Jacob was referring to the death of Colonel O'Neill and the other members of the SGC.

"I wish I could have been here, he was a good man," Jacob responded as the pair exited the gate room and began to make their way towards the general's office. He had been truly sorry to hear of Jack's fate. The man had been a pain in the ass at times, but underneath his irreverent exterior he had been an excellent officer. Jacob had always felt comforted knowing that Jack was watching his daughter's back, he couldn't have thought of a better person to keep her safe; besides himself of course.

"How's Sam doing?" Jacob questioned once they reached the privacy of Hammond's office. The message he had received from the SGC had included the details surrounding Jack's death and he was concerned about his daughter. It was probably a good thing that the council had delayed passing him the information until he had completed his mission. Selmak likely would have had to take control to prevent him from immediately dialing Earth from the nearest stargate.

"Since coming back from some enforced time off last week she's thrown herself into her research even more obsessively than normal. I've considered ordering her to go back home, but I think she needs something to keep her mind occupied. Daniel and Teal'c have been keeping a close eye on her; making sure she actually bothers to take breaks to eat and sleep. I won't lie to you, Jacob, she's still in a lot of pain; but with the help of her teammates, and now you, I think she's going to be okay. It's just going to take time."

"She's strong, just like her mother was," Jacob replied as he began fighting the urge to rise from the seat he had just taken in front of Hammond's desk and rush straight to Sam's lab.

**I understand your wish to comfort your daughter, Jacob; but we must explain the true reason for our presence here.**

_I know, but surely we have time to…_

**I shouldn't have to remind you that our time to act is short; after all it is your home planet that is in jeopardy. There will be plenty of time to console Samantha once the Tau'ri have been made aware of the danger presently facing them. **Selmak gently reminded him. Jacob let out a sigh, knowing that she was right. His conflicted expression wasn't lost on the general.

"I take it checking up on Sam isn't the only reason you're here," Hammond observed with a slight frown.

"We need your help, George. There's a situation that needs immediate attention and we simply don't have the personnel available to deal with it ourselves. Not to mention that it will require a bit more of a direct approach than we are generally comfortable with."

"I mean no disrespect to the Tok'ra, but you'll understand if I'm a little reluctant to risk my people on a tok'ra mission; especially after recent events."

"Believe me, I do, but I think you'll find that there are at least three people here who will volunteer for the mission once they hear the details," Jacob continued.

Hammond's eyebrows rose a bit at that. He had a feeling he knew who Jacob was referring to, but didn't see how he could possibly authorize their return to active duty. While the surviving members of SG-1 were doing their best to move forward, Hammond wasn't sure they were mentally ready to be sent off world quite yet, not to mention the fact that he had yet to assign a replacement for Colonel O'Neill. In truth he was dragging his feet on the matter, somehow assigning a new leader to the team would make Jack's death seem even more final.

"You'll have to convince me first, Jacob." Hammond stated bluntly before leaning forward slightly in his desk chair as he waited for his friend to outline the latest galactic emergency.

_SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1_

Sam's eyes widened slightly in surprise as she entered the SGC's briefing room and found her father standing next to General Hammond near the head of the conference table.

"Dad!" She exclaimed as she rushed towards him and allowed herself to be enveloped in a bear hug.

"Hey, kiddo," Jacob greeted into her hair as he held her tightly until a discrete cough from the general caused them to break apart and find their seats around the table.

"What's this about, General?" Daniel questioned once everyone was settled. It escaped no one's notice that Colonel O'Neill's usual spot remained painfully vacant. It seemed everyone was still reluctant to admit that he was truly gone.

"We need your help," Jacob stated bluntly after receiving a slight nod from Hammond indicating for him to take control of the briefing.

"What's going on, Dad?" Sam turned to stare at Jacob quizzically.

"As you already know, upon examination of the wreckage of Hathor's base we discovered the body of our tok'ra operative," Jacob began receiving nods of affirmation from the rest of SG-1. The tok'ra salvage operation had also managed to recover the bodies of several SGC personnel, although Colonel O'Neill's was never found; much to his teammate's distress. As much as it pained her to admit it, this hadn't been much of a surprise to Sam. The Colonel had been close enough to the origin of the explosion that his body had likely been incinerated instantly.

"Although we never unearthed her remains, we had hoped that Hathor was also killed in the blast; however, we have recently received new information indicating that unfortunately that is not the case. It seems that Khepri, our operative, was able to blend with a new host and escape along with Hathor and several of her jaffa in a small ship."

"And you need our help stopping her from whatever she's planning now," Daniel concluded, earning a grim nod in his direction from Jacob.

"Apparently being imprisoned in a sarcophagus for thousands of years did nothing to decrease her ambitions. Her hope is to build an army of jaffa large enough to rival the system lords before they even realize she is once again free. To this end she has set up a breeding facility on a remote planet. It lacks a stargate which makes it effectively 'off the map' as far as most other goa'uld are concerned.

"Khepri's reports indicate that there are already tens of thousands of larvae awaiting implantation into new jaffa." Jacob noted the slight widening of SG-1's eyes at the sheer number of larvae Hathor had already managed to amass. Having firsthand knowledge of her ability to create her own jaffa, the implications of her actions did not escape them.

Teal'c was the first of them to realize the one glaring problem with her plan. "Things may not be as bad as they seem. I know of no planet with a population of humans large enough to support such an army. Not to mention the slaves and future hosts that Hathor will also inevitably require."

"I'm afraid you do, Teal'c," General Hammond chimed in having already heard the details of the situation from Jacob. "She's coming here."

"What?" Both Daniel and Sam exclaimed in unison.

"Uh, Dad, I thought you said the Tok'ra needed our help. It sounds to me like we'll need yours. Hathor knows how we defeated Apophis so I doubt she'll risk having a stargate present on her ship and I don't see how we'll manage to defeat a goa'uld mothership without somehow getting onboard." Sam knew that their defeat of Apophis the previous year had been largely due to luck and she wasn't feeling all too confident in their chances against another goa'uld attack.

"The Tok'ra don't currently have the resources to go toe to toe with a goa'uld mothership," Jacob could see the worry on Sam's face increasing as he spoke, "but thankfully, Hathor doesn't have one."

"Then how?" Daniel began, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Where Apophis was focused on destroying Earth, Hathor's focus is on infiltration. During her time at the SGC she was apparently able to do some digging into Earth's current global situation. Upon learning of the many areas of Earth that are still relatively isolated and technologically primitive, she decided that they would be the perfect recruitment grounds for her new jaffa."

"How does she expect to manage that without access to a ship or the stargate?" Sam questioned.

"I said she didn't have a mothership; I never said she didn't have any ships at all," Jacob clarified. "Hathor is in the process of building a fleet of small ships known as tel'taks. They have both hyperspace and stealth capability making them perfect transport vessels. Her plan is bring vats of her new symbiotes to small villages spread around the world. The inhabitants will either be implanted as jaffa or made to serve their new 'god' as slaves. Any who resist will simply be brainwashed using a chemical similar to the one used on the men here at the SGC."

"That's… that's brilliant," Daniel stammered as he began to fully appreciate the problem facing them. "Although most remote villages are aware of the modern world, they generally maintain their traditional traditions and belief systems. Even if any outsider where to hear strange stories of a new 'god' they would likely ignore it thinking that it stemmed from the local religion. Even knowing of her plan she could easily establish multiple footholds here on Earth before we are able to locate them."

"Exactly," Jacob nodded in agreement, "And once she's built a solid foundation she plans to slowly branch into small towns, cities, and eventually some of the smaller third world countries. Those humans that are not made into jaffa will be shipped back to her current base to aid in the mining of naquadah and eventually the production of more ships and weapons.

"If she is successful, Hathor will have a fully equipped army capable of taking on not only Earth's superpowers, but the system lords as well; and all before we can even locate her operations here on Earth. According to the information Khepri has passed along she plans to bring the first of her symbiotes here two days from now and the closest ship the Tok'ra have available will take seventeen hours to reach Hathor's planet at top speed. If we are going to stop her, we have to do it now."

"You are technically still on stand down and SG-3 is available so I won't order you to take this mission," Hammond looked intently at each member of SG-1 in turn, "however, you are our flagship team and have more experience than anyone else dealing with the goa'uld. If you choose to volunteer I will be officially returning SG-1 to active duty."

After glancing briefly at each other Daniel, Teal'c, and Sam nodded their acceptance of the mission in near unison. Sam didn't see how they could have possibly refused. Not only was Earth once again in need of saving, but they had the opportunity to go after Hathor. Although none of them would ever admit it, she knew that thoughts of revenge for Colonel O'Neill's fate were weighing heavily on everyone's mind.

"Very well. I have yet to decide on a replacement for Colonel O'Neill so for the moment SG-1 will be operating as a three man team under the command of Captain Carter. You handled yourself well during your command of the mission to PXY-887, Captain, so I trust that you will be able to do the same here."

"Yes, sir," Sam responded attempting to appear more confident than she felt. Commanding a mission to investigate the disappearance of SG-11 was a far cry from going head to head with Hathor once again.

_SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1_

General Hammond watched apprehensively from the control room as SG-1, accompanied by Jacob, waited patiently for the gate to finish dialing the address that would lead to the waiting tok'ra ship. There were several aspects of the mission that he didn't like. While under normal circumstances he would have had complete confidence in Captain Carter's ability to command, he wasn't even sure she should be allowed off world yet. Although she was trying her best to hide it, anyone who knew her well was sure to notice the tightness around her eyes and the way her now rare smiles still didn't quite reach them. She hadn't completely recovered from the events surrounding her last meeting with Hathor and here he was sending her to face the goa'uld once again.

There was also the little matter of the specifics of the mission itself. Jacob had promised that the tok'ra had a plan and that it would be shared with SG-1 during the trip to Hathor's planet in order to save time. As much as he wanted to trust his old friend, especially considering both he and his daughter would be co-leading the mission; he still didn't appreciate not knowing the details of what his people were being sent to do. Not to mention the fact that since they were going by ship, there would be no way to contact them or to send reinforcements should things go wrong. Every fiber of his being was telling him that this was a bad idea, but neither he nor SG-1 seemed to have a choice.

"Chevron seven, locked," Sgt Harriman announced as the vortex of the now open wormhole erupted into the gate room. Sam adjusted the rifle that was fastened across her chest and glanced upwards at General Hammond waiting for the signal to proceed.

"SG-1, you have a go."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Sorry it took me a while to update. Real life has been a bit busy, and it took me longer than I expected to come up with the details for this chapter. Also, I apologize for any typos that may slip through the cracks. I do my best to proof read each chapter carefully, but occasionally I'll miss something. Enjoy!

**~Chapter 5~**

Jack was pacing restlessly from one side of his elaborate quarters to the other. Hathor had grown impatient waiting to finally put her grand scheme into effect and had moved up her time table slightly. The first shipments of Goa'uld larvae were scheduled to depart for Earth in just under ten hours, and there had still been no word from the Tok'ra on when or if they were sending more operatives to help nip Hathor's plan in the bud. If they didn't arrive soon, Earth was in for a load of trouble.

_Remind me again why we just don't kill her ourselves. _Jack grumbled as he once again reached one of the gold enameled walls and turned to wander back in the opposite direction. _We've had ample opportunities; we could take her by surprise, grab ourselves a cargo ship, and be off this rock before anyone knew what was happening._

**And once again I will ask what of the immature symbiotes? **Jack could feel the exasperation coming from Khepri. This was a conversation that had been repeated numerous times over the past several weeks, but Jack couldn't help himself. He was a man of action; sitting around waiting while a Goa'uld planned the enslavement of his planet was driving him mad.

_We find the nearest planet with a stargate, head to Earth, and come back with my team and a whole bunch of C4. I've paid enough attention to Carter's scientific mumbo jumbo to know that naquadah is highly explosive, and we know the tanks are partly constructed of the element. If we placed enough charges we could bring the entire complex down._

**Why must humans be so stubborn? You and I both know that it would not be that simple. The Tau'ri either believe that you are dead or host to a Goa'uld, and by the time they are able to confirm that I am Tok'ra one of Hathor's other subordinates could well have taken command of her forces and enacted the plan in her place. If we remain here we can report on which areas of your planet have been infiltrated should help not arrive in time. And why am I even having this conversation with you again? You were smart enough to realize all of this yourself at one point, why can you not accept it now? **Khepri questioned; humans could be truly strange at times she decided.

_Because back then Hathor wasn't hours away from sending thousands of her snakes to Earth. And my patience is beginning to run thin with this whole charade. Spending two weeks pretending to be Hathor's loyal prince Husani is not my idea of a good time. _Jack whined as he stopped his pacing and settled himself onto a plush chair positioned in one corner of the room rubbing his face in his palms while letting out a deep sigh. If something didn't happen soon he was going to lose it.

Two more hours of torturous waiting passed before the small Tok'ra communications device that Jack and Khepri carried began buzzing against Jack's ribs. The device was kept safely taped high underneath his upper arm to decrease the likely hood of its vibrations being spotted should a communiqué come in at an inopportune moment. Khepri, being more familiar with the workings of the small device, quickly took control and reached Jack's arm down the collar of his tunic before peeling the object carefully off of his side.

Khepri moved to the center of the far wall where a small table was present and gently laid the device on the flat surface. It was roughly the shape of a pyramid, although it was flattened in comparison to the normal profile associated with the shape. There was a single small aperture on the peak of the pyramid and two tiny buttons adorning one face. Khepri pressed the upper button, and a small holographic message began to hover in the air over the device.

The message read: RY WQDRM OJXZBV BYH ONWYJ UXBY FBUMKQJ MW BFFJOO DBOJ RYMJQRWQ, which to Jack seemed to be complete gibberish.

**It is a simple code commonly used to contact undercover operatives shortly before a mission is to take place. **Khepri explained. **While it lacks the complexity to prevent decryption completely, it is sufficient to delay our adversaries long enough to carry out our plans should a message be intercepted. At the same time, it is simple enough for our undercover operatives to decode without the use of special equipment.**

_Makes sense._ Jack agreed as he attempted to make heads or tails of the message. So far he was only succeeding in giving himself a headache. _Why didn't we do that with the intel we sent out?_ Jack wondered as he continued to contemplate the odd message.

**As you learned we do not include any identifying information in our outgoing transmissions, so even if it is intercepted the only thing the Goa'uld will know is that they have a spy in their midst. There would be no way for them to know who it is or what they plan to do with the information.**

_Ah. Well, what's this one say?_ Jack was getting antsy knowing something was about to happen, but not knowing what.

**If you will be quiet and let me think I will tell you.**Khepri grumbled as she leaned forward over the projection.

_Sorry_. Jack apologized sheepishly.

Several minutes later Khepri switched off the device and placed it back against the skin on Jack's side.

_Well…?_

**Selmak and SG-1 are currently in orbit around the planet.**

Jack was initially ecstatic to hear that the rest of SG-1 had arrived. He would feel much more comfortable working alongside his old team; not to mention the fact that he had missed them terribly. He hadn't truly realized how much of a family they had become until he was no longer around them every day. His enthusiasm rapidly faded, however, as Khepri related the other brief details conveyed in the message.

_What the hell are they thinking? _He muttered to Khepri as she began to make the necessary preparations for SG-1's arrival. _This is so not my idea of a good plan._

**It is a tactic used with much success among the Tok'ra. I am sure it will go smoothly here as well.**

_I wouldn't be so sure. We seem to have a nose for trouble, and this… this is a recipe for disaster._

_SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1_

"Are you sure about this, Dad?" Sam questioned as Jacob returned to the ring platform after sending his communiqué to Khepri.

"It does seem a bit risky," Daniel chimed in with a slight frown on his face.

"I assure you that this will work," Jacob's head dropped to his chest briefly as Selmak attempted to reassure the humans, "this tactic has been used by the Tok'ra for many centuries with great success."

"But if you have a better idea, Sam, I'm all ears," Jacob continued as he retook control. Although he and Selmak had been calling most of the shots since leaving the SGC he recognized that his daughter was ultimately in charge of SG-1 and they were going nowhere until she approved his plan.

"Unfortunately I don't," Sam grudgingly admitted with a small sigh. "Daniel?" She questioned her teammate giving him one final chance to come up with something else.

He shook his head indicating that he couldn't think of anything either before mumbling under his breath, "I just hope we don't get shot."

"Okay, it's settled then," Jacob chose to ignore Daniel's last comment as he made his way towards the panel that activated the rings before calling towards the front of the ship, "Teal'c, are we in position?"

"We are, Jacob Carter. I am prepared to deactivate our cloak on your signal," Teal'c responded from where he was piloting the ship. It had been decided that he would remain in control of their cargo ship so that his teammates could be quickly retrieved by the rings once their mission was complete. He would also be able to bring word to Earth should something go horribly wrong. He sincerely hoped that it did not come to that.

"Now!" Jacob ordered as he pressed the button to trigger the rings before quickly joining Sam and Daniel on the circular platform.

As they rematerialized at their destination Jacob, Sam, and Daniel found themselves standing in a room nearly identical to the one which they had just left. They were in the hold of one of the ships located in front of Hathor's complex.

"We need to move quickly. Chances are good that someone spotted us ringing down," Jacob announced as he motioned for Daniel to remove his backpack which contained their rather large supply of C4.

Daniel passed several charges to Jacob who worked rapidly to rig the ship's engine with the explosives while Sam trained her rifle on the ship's hatch in case reinforcements arrived faster than they anticipated.

"Ready?" Sam questioned as her father and Daniel finished their work and moved into positions on the opposite side of the doorway. The two men nodded in return and Sam reached forward slapping the main door control before sliding back into cover as the door opened.

Their presence was obscured from the compound's main entrance by the hull of the adjacent cargo ship, however, that meant that their view of the surrounding area was also severely limited. Sam cautiously peered around the doorway's edge before ducking back quickly as a zat blast impacted the area that her head had just occupied.

Holding up one finger Sam gestured towards the direction of the enemy jaffa. Daniel nodded his head in understanding and watched for her signal. As she mouthed the word 'go' they leaned forward and quickly snapped off several shots before retreating to safety once again. They were rewarded by the thud of a heavy body hitting the ground, while the Jaffa's shot impacted harmlessly once again against the side of the ship. Crouching down low Jacob crept forward and paused briefly looking for signs of any other activity before indicating that the coast was clear.

The three of them raced forward and pressed their backs against the hull of the neighboring ship before inching around behind it as they made their way towards the hatch on the opposite side. Their goal was to rig as many ships as possible before the area became overrun with jaffa. If a chain reaction of explosions could be created it would not only destroy the entirety of Hathor's fleet, but would create a very nice diversion as well.

They reached the hatch without meeting any further resistance, although they could hear shouting in the distance and the clomping sounds made by the heavy armor generally preferred by jaffa began to grow nearer. They didn't have much time to establish a better defensive position inside of the second ship.

Jacob reached into a pouch at his belt and pulled out a small rectangular object, which he placed over the controls of the sealed door. A series of flashing lights on the device's surface began turning from red to green as the access code was broken.

"Almost there," Jacob declared as the second to last light flashed green.

Just as he spoke two jaffa rounded opposite corners of the ship and opened fire with zats catching SG-1 in a crossfire. Daniel and Sam immediately returned fire and downed the jaffa, but not before one of them managed to squeeze off one final shot which impacted Daniel squarely in the chest; he collapsed instantly in a heap.

"Uh oh," Jacob muttered as he moved his gaze from Daniel to the small device whose lights had now gone dark. It had been hit by an errant zat blast causing it to short circuit.

"Now what?" Sam questioned as she tightened her grip on her rifle.

"I guess we move to part two of the plan a little sooner than we expected; we surrender." Jacob stated simply. Sam arched an eyebrow at him slightly, but nodded in agreement nonetheless; after all being captured actually was an important part of their plan. They just hadn't expected it to happen quite so quickly.

_SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1_

Jack had once again begun pacing back and forth in his quarters as he and Khepri awaited further word on the activity of Jacob and SG-1. After decoding the brief message Khepri had managed to tap into the compound's communications system so that they would know the instant that SG-1 was successfully captured.

After what seemed like an eternity an alarm began to sound within the base as they picked up transmissions from Hathor's first prime, Tarik, ordering his jaffa to the landing zone adjacent to the complex. Jack could barely breathe as he waited for word on the fate of his friends. He relaxed a bit when Tarik gave the order for the intruders to be taken alive, but his heart was still in his throat. He would give anything to be out there with them instead of stuck waiting. After several minutes of agonizing worry the news he and Khepri were waiting for was finally intercepted.

"We have captured the intruders, my queen," Tarik reported in a pleased tone, "they are being taken to our most secure cell as we speak."

"Excellent, we are most pleased. Who dared to cross us?" Hathor questioned, annoyed that the departure of her first shipment of symbiotes would inevitably be delayed by the incident.

_Time to go!_ Jack declared as he ignored Tarik's explanation, grabbed the zat they had 'borrowed' from the armory several days earlier, and headed for the door. He didn't see any need to hear the rest of Hathor's conversation since they knew exactly who to expect inside the cell.

**Remember, we must not appear rushed. **Khepri reminded Jack as they exited into the hallway. **We cannot risk drawing unnecessary suspicion to ourselves.**

_SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1_

"So much for not getting shot," Daniel groaned as Sam and Jacob each took him by an arm and hauled him up from where the jaffa had dumped him unceremoniously on the floor of the cell.

"So what does Khepri's host look like," Sam questioned in a near whisper as the three of them settled themselves against the wall farthest from the door. She wanted to learn as much information as she could about the Tok'ra in case they were separated from her father before Khepri was able to free them.

"I actually don't know," Jacob replied with a slightly guilty expression.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Daniel demanded rather loudly earning him a reproachful glare from Sam. "Sorry," he quickly amended in a much softer voice.

"You remember me saying that Khepri's original host was killed during your last encounter with Hathor?" Sam and Daniel nodded. "It is Tok'ra policy that undercover operatives pass information only through text based means and they are never to make any mention of their host's identity. This greatly lessens the risk that they will be discovered, but unfortunately it also means I have no way of knowing who Khepri has taken as her new host," Jacob explained.

"So how exactly will we know who to trust then?" Daniel furrowed his brow as he considered this new development.

"Well, it will probably be the person who lets us out of this cell," Jacob answered sarcastically causing Daniel to roll his eyes in exasperation.

Before Jacob could follow up with a more serious answer Sam raised her hand indicating for them to be quiet. The sound of muffled voices could be heard just barely through the solid door, but it was nearly impossible to make out what was being said. The only bit that sounded anything at all like an actual word sounded almost like 'my lord.' Sam knew that Khepri's former host had been female, but based on her experiences with Jolinar she knew that didn't mean much. As the heavy door began to rise with a hiss Sam held her breath in anticipation as they waited to discover who was on the other side, and if they were friend or foe.

Sam's face fell at what the opening door revealed; three very large, very angry looking jaffa. The one in the center was likely the leader she decided as she took in the way he stood slightly in front of the other two. He seemed to be around 6'5" with arms the size of most men's legs. His bare chest was crisscrossed with the thin white lines of long old scars and his otherwise handsome face was marred by a single long scar stretching from just below his left cheekbone up into his short cropped brown hair. In one hand he was carrying an object that Sam had never seen before. It was a long metal rod with three prongs on one end; whatever it was, she had a feeling it wasn't good.

As he stepped away from his subordinates Sam began to scramble to her feet along with her father and Daniel. She had made it nearly halfway when he lunged forward and grabbed a fistful of her hair painfully wrenching her head backwards as she was pulled onto her tiptoes.

"I am Tarik, Hathor's first prime. You will pay for daring to cross a god," he announced as he sneered at each of the humans in turn before releasing Sam's hair and shoving her roughly towards one of his lieutenants. "Take her to Hathor," he ordered, "she wishes to deal with this one personally."

The jaffa nodded and forcefully grabbed Sam's shoulder, steering her out into the hallway beyond as Jacob and Daniel watched helplessly.

"As for you," Tarik continued turning his attention back to the two men, "you will wish that you were in her place soon enough. She will enjoy a relatively easy death at the hands of our god; you, however, will not be so lucky. I will take much pleasure in making you beg for mercy before the end."

As Tarik spoke the other remaining jaffa came forward and bound both Daniel and Jacob's hands behind their back before forcing them to their knees and passing a second pain stick to his superior.

"Things still going according to plan, Jacob?" Daniel questioned dryly as Tarik, a pain stick in each hand, circled them with a feral grin before taking up position behind them. Screams of pain filled the small cell as the jaffa pressed the sticks between the two men's shoulder blades and a yellow light began to erupt from their eyes and mouth.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I apologize for the long delay between updates. Hopefully it's worth the wait =).

**~Chapter 6~**

As Jack neared the hallway containing Hathor's holding cells he quickened his pace slightly. Although muffled, the sound emanating from around the corner was unmistakable; it was the sound of human screams. He had nearly turned the corner and was reaching his hand towards the zat tucked securely into the waistband of his belt when a voice stopped him in his tracks and caused him to reluctantly turn towards the speaker.

"My Lord, Queen Hathor wishes to see you in her main audience chamber. She has a surprise she wishes to share with you." Without waiting for further reply the young jaffa turned and began to lead the way towards the central area of the complex. Jack began inching his hand towards the zat once again, intending to dispose of the messenger and then make his way quickly to the source of the screams. His actions were halted, however, as Khepri assumed control and returned his still empty hand to his side.

_What'd you do that for?_Jack demanded angrily. Why would Khepri stop him when SG-1 was in obvious agony only yards away? _We can't just leave them in there._

**Unfortunately we have no choice. If we do not respond to Hathor's summons she is sure to become suspicious and raise the alarm once again. The remainder of this mission will be challenging enough without the entirety of Hathor's army combing the base in search of us.**Khepri explained as she and Jack made their way through the maze of corridors and the screams faded away in the distance.

_And if SG-1 is dead by the time we return? How exactly will that help us?_Jack countered. _I knew this was a bad plan._ He muttered bitterly.

**Tarik was formerly in the service of Apophis as his chief interrogator. He has a reputation for taking pleasure in prolonging the suffering of his prisoners. While their experience will be unpleasant, your friends in the cell will most likely survive. The same cannot be said for whichever one of them Hathor intends as her 'surprise.' If you truly want to save all of the members of your team, dealing with Hathor first is our only option.** Jack had to admit that she had a point, but understanding and accepting were two different things. He knew all too well what it was like to be imprisoned and tortured, and being forced to leave his friends in the clutches of an obvious sadist was almost more than he could handle.

_Fine, but when it comes time to take out Hathor and Tarik I get to be in control._ Jack stated bluntly.

**Agreed.** Khepri was startled at the abrupt change that had taken place in her host. She had become used to his usual childlike antics and whining, but now his thoughts had become serious and calculating. It seemed that Jack O'Neill had a dark and dangerous side buried within him and she was suddenly very aware of just how dangerous he could truly be. Khepri almost felt sorry for Hathor and her jaffa… almost.

_SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1_

Black spots swam in Sam's vision as the pale yellow light from Hathor's hand device bored into the center of her forehead. She was on the verge of unconsciousness and the only thing keeping her in her kneeling position was the Jaffa roughly gripping her right shoulder. Just as Sam was sure she was finally going to pass out from the agony being inflicted by the Goa'uld, Hathor stopped. This was the third time that she had paused in her use of the hand device, and although Sam was barely lucid, a part of her began to realize that she was being toyed with. Hathor wanted her dead, yes; but she also seemed to be taking great pleasure from inflicting a tremendous amount of pain before the end.

"We had high hopes for you," Hathor muttered with a scowl as she walked forward and forcibly lifted Sam's gaze towards her, "you would have made a fine host for our future daughter. Unfortunately you have proven yourself to be too much trouble and we simply can't afford to let you live."

Sam's chin dropped onto her chest as Hathor released her and moved several feet away before once again raising the hand device. She did her best to steel herself for the coming pain. When nothing had happened after several seconds, Sam struggled to focus on her surroundings and became aware of the sound of approaching footsteps. Using what little energy she had left Sam managed to lift her head just enough to notice Hathor's gaze shift away from her and towards the chamber's entrance.

"You are just in time, my prince," Hathor greeted the newcomer, "We could not have refrained from killing her much longer. Would you care to do the honors?"

"Actually we would," Khepri stated as she raised her hand device and sent a blast of energy towards Hathor, throwing her against the far wall where she slid to the ground momentarily stunned. The Jaffa holding Sam released her as he spun to face his god's attacker and she slumped forward, her forehead striking the hard floor with a sickening crack. Her last thought before she lost consciousness was that the voice of the second Goa'uld had sounded oddly familiar.

_My turn now._ Jack declared as the jaffa spun towards him. As Khepri returned control of his body he quickly pulled out the zat gun at his belt and snapped off two quick shots at the Jaffa before he could raise his own weapon. The sight of Carter's crumpled form on the ground before him amplified Jack's already strong hatred for Hathor. He raised his zat once again as he made his way across the floor of the chamber until he was standing over her.

"Why have you betrayed us? We would have made you one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy," Hathor questioned in confusion as she attempted to recover from the brutal force of her impact, "all Goa'uld crave power; we know you are no different, Husani."

"Unfortunately for you, we are not Goa'uld, we are Tok'ra," Hathor's eyes widened at the sound of this declaration made in Jack's very human voice. "And we," Jack zatted her once," would like you," he fired off a second zat blast, "to go away!" As he finished speaking he fired off a third and final blast of energy ridding the universe of one more snake once and for all.

Having disposed of Hathor, Jack quickly made his way to Sam's side. As he neared he could see blood dripping onto the floor from a gash on her forehead. Although the steady rise and fall of her chest was reassuring, Jack was hesitant to move her from her current position. While the chances of a neck injury from her fall were slim, he didn't want to risk injuring her further.

**Allow me.** Khepri stated gently as she briefly took control of Jack's body and reached for the healing device they carried in a pouch on their belt. Upon activating the device she was pleased to find that Captain Carter was relatively unharmed besides the rather nasty bump on her head. **She should wake soon, **Khepri announced as she returned control to Jack having completed as much healing as she dared in their current situation.

_She'll be okay?_ Jack asked with some trepidation as he inched closer to Sam's prone form and reached out to gently brush a stray strand of hair away from her face.

**She will be weak and will likely have a bit of a headache; but, yes, she will be fine. **Khepri gently assured her host.

As if on cue, Sam let out a small groan as she slowly began to wake and her eyes fluttered open briefly before squeezing shut in protest at the bright lights of the room. As she slowly cracked her eyes open again she was startled to find a familiar pair of brown eyes gazing down at her with worry.

"Sir?" She mumbled groggily as she attempted to comprehend the presence of the colonel hovering above her. It couldn't be… it wasn't possible… she had killed him… she must have a nasty concussion from hitting her head on the floor and was experiencing hallucinations she finally concluded.

"Hey, Carter," Jack responded gently as he began to reach towards her to help her into a sitting position.

"You're not real… just a figment of my imagination," Sam protested as she reached out a hand towards him, expecting to prove her point by feeling her fingertips passing through nothing but air. She was shocked when her hand connected with the warm and solid wall of Jack's chest. She could feel his heart beating strongly underneath her fingertips. As his hands gently grasped her shoulders and pulled her upright Sam launched herself into his arms; her relief that he was miraculously alive nearly overwhelming.

Her relief was fleeting; however, as she suddenly recognized the strange tingling feeling that she now felt whenever she was near Teal'c; the tingling caused by the ability to sense Goa'uld that had been left with her after her blending with Jolinar. The last of the fog clouding her mind faded abruptly and the horrible reality of the events surrounding her last meeting with Hathor came crashing back.

"You're a Goa'uld," Sam gasped as she stiffened and pushed herself away from Jack's embrace and crawled backwards from him until her progress was stopped as her back met a wall. It seemed she had been saved from Hathor only to face further torment from Husani. He must have decided that he wasn't content to be second in command she concluded as she cast her gaze around her immediate area searching for anything that could be used as a weapon. This time, however, she was intended to disable the Goa'uld instead of killing him. Now that she knew the colonel was alive, she was determined to find some way to rescue him from the parasite that had invaded his body.

"Easy, Carter," Jack responded as he moved slowly towards her, making sure that his hands were held away from his zat and removing the hand device from its place on his hand. Not wanting a repeat of their last meeting he was attempting to look as unthreatening as possible while he set about convincing her that Khepri was a Tok'ra. "I'm not a Goa'uld. I'm host to Khepri, the Tok'ra operative you're here to meet."

"You're lying," Sam protested. Meeting his gaze for the first time since scrambling away from his arms, Sam was surprised to find his eyes filled with concern. It was not at all the expression she would expect to find on a Goa'uld who had just assassinated his master. She quickly stamped down on the small glimmer of hope that he might be telling the truth. There was no way she could trust him, not without some sort of proof.

_How am I supposed to convince her,_ Jack asked Khepri as he tried to come up with some way to reassure the terrified woman before him. _I know I wouldn't believe a word I'm saying in her case, and you can't exactly share your memories with her as you did with me._

**Perhaps not, but I have an idea. Jacob shared many stories of his daughter with me; some of which she does not seem to have shared with you. Allow me to speak with her. **As Khepri's memories of a particular conversation came to mind Jack couldn't help but grin; he'd have to make sure to ask Jacob about other juicy stories from Sam's childhood once all of this was over.

"He is not lying," Sam started as Khepri spoke in the deep voice of a symbiote, "And I believe I have a means of demonstrating the truth to you."

"I don't see how," Sam remarked with noticeable skepticism.

"Selmak and I have been close friends for many decades, and I had many a conversation with your father after their blending."

"Knowing that my father is host to Selmak proves nothing, you could have easily gained that information from Colonel O'Neill's memories," Sam interrupted.

"You are correct, but I do not believe you ever told him of the incident that took place in your high school physics lab," Khepri continued. She chuckled slightly as the human sitting before her began to blush furiously, "causing an explosion that large was quite a feat for someone so young."

"It wasn't supposed to…" Sam began defensively before realizing that Khepri was correct; she had never told her team of that particularly embarrassing incident, "How did you?" She stammered in shock.

"As I told you before, your father and I became friends after his blending. He speaks of you often Samantha."

"You're really a Tok'ra?" Sam questioned, still in a state of slight disbelief. It was almost too good to be true.

"Yep," Jack responded with a slight smirk as he retook control and moved forward until his knees were nearly brushing hers.

"Oh god, sir, I… I killed you… I thought..." Sam began babbling before Jack cut her off by pulling her into his arms.

"I know, Carter, I know," he whispered into her hair as he held her close, rubbing her back soothingly, "I thought I was too," he continued knowing she was referring to her belief that he was host to a Goa'uld.

"I can't believe you're really here," Sam mumbled into his chest, "I thought I'd never see you again."

"You can't get rid of me that easily, Captain." Jack joked, trying to lighten the mood as he gave Sam another squeeze before releasing her and helping her unsteadily to her feet. He knew that he needed to have a serious discussion about his 'death' with Carter if she was to ever completely heal from the ordeal, but now wasn't the time; the rest of his team still needed rescuing. "You okay?" He questioned as he retrieved the dead Jaffa's zat and passed it to her.

"Yes, sir," She replied, accepting the weapon and squaring her shoulders as she forced her mind back into military mode. Although she still looked a little wobbly on her feet, Jack could see the determination in her eyes. He nodded once before turning to lead them back towards the cell where Daniel and Jacob were being held.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** I apologize for the extremely long delay in getting this chapter up. I have no real excuse; I simply had a period where a nasty case of writer's block and some real life stress caused me to need a short break from the wonderful world of fanfiction. Thanks to those of you who have stuck with me, and welcome any newcomers =). Enjoy!

**~Chapter 7~**

As Sam and Jack neared the cell where Daniel and Jacob were being held screams of agony once again filled the air. Rounding the corner of the hallway leading to their destination they raced towards the doorway only to skid to a stop several yards away as the screams coming from inside abruptly stopped. They shared a slightly panicked look before moving once again towards the controls operating the cell's door. As horrible as hearing the pained screams had been, the silence was worse. The screams had at least meant that Daniel and Jacob were alive.

Jack glanced at Sam briefly before he began to punch his access code into the panel next to the door. To someone who didn't know her well she would have look like the perfect soldier; her eyes filled with determination and her face impassive. He, however, could see the tension underlying the surface. From the tightness around her eyes and the way she had lost some of the color she had just managed to regain, he knew she was on the verge of a breakdown and that what they found behind the door could well send her over the edge. He honestly didn't know how she was holding it together as well as she was. Being captured, tortured by a goa'uld, and rescued by your supposedly dead CO was enough to set anyone's mind reeling.

As the cell's door slid open, Jack's blood began to boil with rage once again at the sight before him. Tarik was poised menacingly over Daniel, staring at his unconscious form with a scowl; while Jacob was swaying precariously in his kneeling position, his mouth slightly agape in confusion as he tried to process Jack's appearance through his pain induced haze.

"My Lor…" Tarik began to speak before his words were cut short by two quick shots from Jack's zat gun. At the same instant Sam disposed of the other jaffa present in the room with two shots of her own.

"Dad!" Sam exclaimed as she rushed to kneel at her father's side, while Jack moved to check on Daniel.

"I'll be okay, kiddo. Selmak's presence makes me slightly more resistant to this particular form of torture than a normal human," Jacob attempted to reassure her as she freed his hands from where they were bound at the small of his back. As he flexed his arms in an attempt to get the blood circulating properly in them once again, Jacob turned his attention to Jack with raised eyebrows as he pieced together the only logical explanation for the man's sudden appearance with Sam, "You're Khepri's new host?"

"Yep," Jack responded as he freed Daniel's hands and moved him into a more comfortable prone position.

"How the hell did that happen? You've always been… vocal about your feelings on the idea of becoming host to a Tok'ra," Jacob questioned.

"Long story," Jack mumbled with a shrug before being cut off from further explanation by a groan from Daniel. Jack reached down and lightly slapped the archaeologist on the cheek a few times in an attempt to help rouse him. As his eyes came into focus, his brow furrowed as he registered the identity of the figure kneeling next to him.

"Jack?"

"Daniel. Nice of you to join us," Jack said as the archaeologist pushed himself into a sitting position against the cell's wall.

"You're supposed to be dead," Daniel muttered groggily as he leaned his head back against the wall behind him and let his eyes slide shut momentarily; his entire body ached and he was pretty sure he was hallucinating.

"I missed you too, Daniel. And, yes, I'm doing fine. Thanks for asking," Jack retorted with mock indignation as he patted his friend on the shoulder. The feel of Jack's hand impacting solidly with his aching body finally roused Daniel into full awareness.

"I'm not hallucinating? You're really here?" Daniel questioned, punctuating his words with absentminded pokes at Jack's chest. He still half expected his hand to pass directly through his friend.

"Yes, Daniel," Jack responded with a dramatic roll of his eyes, "but you won't be for much longer if you don't stop with the poking," he continued, batting Daniel's hand away in annoyance.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but how? We saw you… and then Sam said… and I mean I guess Hathor had a… but what about the… Sam, are you sure he's not a Goa'uld?" Daniel babbled as he turned his head in confusion between the two Air Force officers.

"Oh for crying out loud, how many times do I have to say this today? We are NOT a Goa'uld!" Jack exclaimed in annoyance.

"We? Did he just say we?" Daniel questioned the room at large before his eyes widened as Jack lowered his head briefly before Khepri began to speak.

"My host did indeed say we. I am Khepri of the Tok'ra. It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Daniel Jackson."

"Well, that's new," Daniel muttered before recovering enough to greet Khepri properly, "uh, it's nice to meet you too; sorry, this is just all a bit of a shock."

Khepri nodded in understanding before Jack retook control of his body and helped to pull Daniel shakily to a standing position as alarm bells began to echo through the base.

"I think that's our cue," Jack announced with a grimace as he made his way to the doorway and peered out into the hallway beyond, "You two well enough to walk?"

"Doesn't look like we have much of a choice, does it?" Jacob remarked as he and Daniel began to move forward unsteadily.

"Carter, you take point," Jack ordered as the group moved out into the hallway and he moved to Daniel's side to help support the still very wobbly younger man.

"It really is good to have you back," Daniel remarked as they made their way to the storeroom where their C4 and weapons were likely being kept.

"Why, Daniel, are you actually admitting that you missed me? I'm touched," Jack smirked.

"I wouldn't go that far; but I was dreading the thought of breaking in a new Colonel," Daniel needled as he grinned back. Jack shook his head slightly and chuckled. It was still going to take a miracle to get them all out of compound in one piece, but surrounded by his friends once again he felt more himself than he had in the weeks since their initial capture by Hathor.

_SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1_

Teal'c, get ready to ring us aboard," Daniel yelled into the radio attached to his vest as he and the rest of the group raced from the entrance to Hathor's breeding room to the cover of the nearest Al'kesh.

Initially they had met little resistance while recovering their equipment and making their way to the numerous tanks of larvae. Unfortunately, however, it was only a matter of time before one of the numerous groups of Jaffa searching for their missing queen stumbled across the intruders planting explosives in the breeding facilities. Within minutes the chamber was swarming with Jaffa and a firefight was raging. Daniel considered it a small miracle that they had escaped from the base without an errant staff blast hitting some of the C4 and blowing them all to hell.

"I am in position," Teal'c responded moments later and Jack signaled for the group to continue advancing forward towards the ring platform while he covered their flank. Reaching the last ship they were forced to dash into the open, everyone crouching low to provide the pursuing enemies with as small of a target as possible.

"Now, Teal'c!" Sam screamed as they dove onto the platform and were almost instantly surrounded by the activating rings.

"Everyone okay?" Jacob questioned as the light dissipated following their re-materialization within the ship's hold.

"I will be once Daniel gets his knee off my ribs," Jack muttered from where he was half pinned beneath the other man.

"Sorry," Daniel replied.

"Ow! I said move your knee, not dig it in!" Jack yelped as most of Daniel's weight came down on Jack's torso as he tried to scramble out of the pile of bodies.

"How else was I supposed to get up?" Daniel questioned.

"Not that way!"

"But…"

The two men were rapidly falling into their usual pattern of bickering when the distinctive sound of a zat being opened to firing position silenced them.

"Hey, Teal'c!" Jack greeted turning to face the very confused Jaffa currently pointing a weapon at him. "What's with the zat?"

"He is Goa'uld. How is it that you did not sense its presence?" Teal'c questioned as he turned towards Jacob and Sam.

"We…" "He…" father and daughter began simultaneously before being cut off by Jack.

"For the last time… we… are…TOK'RA!"

"Are you certain he is being truthful, Jacob Carter?" the Jaffa asked shifting his glance suspiciously between Jacob and where Jack was still seated on the floor of the ship looking extremely annoyed.

"He's telling the truth," Jacob confirmed, "although how Khepri has managed to put up with him is beyond me."

Jack rolled his eyes in response before standing and turning his attention towards Teal'c.

"Now can you please lose the zat and get us the hell out of here. I'm past ready to get home… If I still have one that is…" Jack amended with a grimace as he remembered how quickly the Air Force had insisted they clean out Daniel's apartment after his 'death.' "So… uh… what'd you guys do with my stuff?"

**A/N: Only the epilogue to go now and I promise not to make you lovely readers wait another 2 months this time =). Unlike this chapter (which gave me a tremendous case of writers block) I've known more or less how I wanted to close out this story for a while now. Hopefully it won't take too long to actually get down on paper.**


	8. Epilogue

**A/N: **I'd like to thank all of you who stuck with this story to the end; slow updates and all. I had fun writing it and I hope you enjoyed it as well. And a special thanks to those of you who have consistently reviewed, I love hearing from you!

As a reminder for dialogue between Jack and Khepri, Jack = _italics _and Khepri =** Bold.**

**~Epilogue~**

Jack strode through the hallways of the SGC with a bounce in his step. After three days of being restricted to base while General Hammond attempted to convince the Pentagon that he was in fact alive and that Khepri was a Tok'ra, he finally had clearance to go home. It was a good thing too; he was about to go mad with boredom. In fact he probably would have, he mused, if he hadn't had a constant companion in the form of Khepri. As much as a part of him still hated to admit it, there were definite perks to having a symbiote.

Before catching a ride home (thankfully his house hadn't been sold yet, although his truck hadn't been so lucky) he had one thing to do though; make sure the rest of SG-1 would make it to the first team night in nearly a month. Daniel and Teal'c had been easy to convince; both were just as ready as he was for their lives to begin to return to some semblance of normalcy. He had a feeling that Carter, however, would be another matter entirely. She had been doing her best to avoid him since their initial debriefing with General Hammond; and the fact that his access to the SGC had been limited to his quarters, the commissary, and the gym for the past several days had made it all too easy on her. Jack had finally had enough. She was coming to team night if he had to carry her off base himself.

**I do hope you plan to actually talk to her, not simply order her off base.** Khepri remarked in a tone that left Jack imagining his symbiote rolling her eyes. Although they had only been blended a short time, she had already picked up on her host's reluctance to discuss feelings of any sort. **She still carries much guilt for our death, however brief it may have been.**

_I know and I will._ Jack responded with a sigh as he paused outside of the door to her lab. _I shouldn't have to though; she had no way of knowing that we were Tok'ra. Hell, I didn't even know you were Tok'ra at the time._

**And you would feel differently in her place?** Khepri questioned sharply although she was fairly certain she already knew the answer.

Jack didn't respond verbally, but simply grimaced and nodded his head in agreement before taking a deep breath and stepping inside the dimly lit lab. Carter was at her computer peering intently at her computer screen, but from the somewhat vacant expression on her face Jack could tell her focus was somewhere else entirely.

"Whatcha doing, Carter?" He greeted as he neared her desk.

"Just reviewing the schematics for the latest update to the… sir!" Sam cut off her explanation as she fully comprehended that Jack was actually present in her lab. "You're here."

"You make it sound like me being here is an unusual occurrence," Jack replied lightly knowing that they were both fully aware how much of a habit his visits had become over the past year.

"Sorry, sir, I just didn't expect to see you. I… ah… guess that means the Pentagon finally believes us?"

"Yep, I'm a free man at last! Speaking of which, I thought we'd have a team night tonight. I'm anxious to introduce Khepri to the concepts of pizza, beer, and movies."

"I'd love to really, sir, but I don't…"

"Carter…" Jack interrupted before she could get out her full excuse. "Whatever it is can wait until tomorrow, the main idea of having team night is to have the entire team there."

"Are you sure that…" Sam started before breaking off and turning away from him as she wrapped her arms around herself defensively.

"Sure of what?" Jack asked quietly sensing her discomfort.

"That you really want me to come," she finally finished quietly still with her back to him.

Jack sucked in a breath of air as her words registered with him. He cursed himself silently for not having this conversation the first chance he had. He had known that she was still hurting from the events with Hathor, but he realized now that he hadn't realized the depths to which her guilt ran.

"Of course I do." he assured her stepping close enough to place a comforting hand on her shoulder to reinforce his words.

"How could you after I… after I…" A silent sob caused Sam's shoulders to shake under Jack's touch as she struggled to finish her sentence through the tears that were threatening to fall.

"After you saved me from a life spent as a slave inside of my own body?" Jack suggested bringing his other hand to her free shoulder and gently turning her towards him. "After you single handedly infiltrated Hathor's base and disabled the generator allowing countless SGC personnel to escape? Yes, I certainly see why I would be upset about that," he finished wryly giving her shoulder a squeeze as she looked up at him in shock before quickly dropping her head again. Clearly those were not the words she had expected to hear.

"But I killed you!" Sam protested.

"Yes, you did," Jack agreed, "as you should have."

"But, but you weren't a Goa'uld," she continued to protest quietly, still not meeting Jack's gaze.

"Look at me, Carter," Jack requested softly. When she didn't make any move to raise her head he prompted again using her first name to help grab her attention, "Sam, look at me."

Sam reluctantly raised her eyes to his and was surprised at what she found. Despite his assurances she had expected to see some amount of blame in his gaze, but the only emotions present were concern and a hint of something else she couldn't quite place; or perhaps chose to ignore considering their working relationship.

"Based on Khepri's behavior you had no way of knowing that we weren't a Goa'uld," Jack began once he was sure he had Sam's full attention, "All you knew was that your fellow Airmen were relying on you to complete a mission and that I was standing in your way. You did the right thing, Carter."

"I could have found another way, sir. You didn't have to die." Sam insisted stubbornly.

"Yes I did, Carter; you and I both know that." Sam nodded reluctantly in response as she finally forced herself to concede his point.

"Knowing doesn't make the memory any less painful. Watching you die would have been bad enough, knowing I was the cause was almost more than I could take," Sam admitted softly as she dropped her gaze back to his chest and the tears that had been threatening finally began to fall.

"Com'ere," Jack coaxed as he pulled her forward into his embrace. Sam latched onto him willingly. The physical contact helped to reassure her that he was in fact alive; that the last several days hadn't merely been a dream.

"So… you'll be there tonight then?" Jack questioned as Sam finally moved away from him and wiped her hand across her eyes to clear them of any remaining tears.

"Yes, sir," she responded with a small smile.

Jack nodded and turned to leave her to her work before her voice stopped him.

"Thank you, sir."

"For what?" he questioned turning back to face her.

"For being here for me, even if I did kill you."

"Anytime, Carter, anytime. Let's not make a habit of the killing part though," he teased with a lopsided grin as he turned once again to leave.

"Yes, sir," Sam responded, this time with a full grin of her own. Sam knew that the painful memories of the past month would never truly fade, but for the first time in weeks she finally felt like things were going to be okay.

_SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1 SG-1_

_2 weeks later…_

Jack paced the length of his and Khepri's quarters on the Tok'ra home world as they waited for word that Khepri's new host was ready to begin the blending process. As much as he had protested the thought of acting as a host before his blending with Khepri, Jack was surprised to find that a large part of him was reluctant to lose her. It was going to be strange being completely alone inside of his head.

**You know you would be welcome among the Tok'ra should you wish to remain a host.** Khepri volunteered sensing the direction that his thoughts had taken. It was the start of a conversation they had had many times over the past several days.

_I can't leave my team, Khepri, you know that as well. As much as I can't believe I'm actually saying this, I'd be happy to remain your host, but I can't abandon my people. I'm needed at the SGC. Are you sure you couldn't remain on Earth? I likely wouldn't be allowed to retain leadership of SG-1 carrying a symbiote, but I doubt they would take us off of the team completely. Carter is more than ready for a promotion and a command of her own._ Jack suggested one last time, although he knew what the answer would be.

**Unfortunately I cannot. The council will need my scientific skills in the years to come if we are to continue our fight against the Goa'uld. I greatly enjoyed my time on your planet; however, I cannot fulfill my duties there.**

_I know._ Jack sighed as he continued his pacing.

"It's time," Jacob announced from the doorway several minutes later. Jack nodded and followed the older man through the maze of Tok'ra tunnels until they reached a small chamber with two pallets set up side by side.

A young woman in her twenties was standing just inside the doorway and taking in her surroundings with a wide-eyed fascination. Jack allowed Khepri to take control of his body as they approached so that she could meet her new host.

"You must be Andra," Khepri greeted extending Jack's hand to take the younger woman's in his, "It is a pleasure to meet you at last."

"You are to be my symbiote?" Andra asked nervously.

"I am, if you are sure this is what you want. We do not believe in taking hosts unless they are completely willing," Khepri explained. "Although it has happened in dire circumstances," she amended at the insistence of her current host.

"I am sure. My sister was host to Jamila before they were killed at the hands of Apophis several years ago. She always spoke well of her experiences as host when she returned home to visit."

"Then join me," Khepri led the way to the pallets and motioned for Andra to lie facing her. "When you are ready all you need do is kiss my current host and I will pass to you. It is up to you to initiate the blending to demonstrate your willingness as host."

"I, I have to kiss him?" Andra questioned with a slight blush at the thought of kissing the handsome man stretched across from her.

"It is the way it is done," Jacob explained from where he was observing the proceedings. Andra nodded and leaned forward to press her lips tentatively against Jacks.

**Good bye, my friend.**Khepri whispered as she returned control of Jack's body and passed between the two humans. Jack immediately felt the loss and was startled by how powerful the sense of loneliness was. Although they had been blended for a fairly short time, the extreme circumstances that he and Khepri had been forced to endure had forged a strong bond between symbiote and host. Jack pushed himself up into a sitting position and turned his attention to Andra, waiting for the first sign that the blending had been successful. After several seconds her eyes opened and she shakily raised herself up onto one elbow.

"That's so weird," Andra murmured as Khepri spoke her first words from inside of her head. "She wants to speak with you," she continued before dropping her head and allowing her symbiote to take control for the first time.

"Khepri?" Jack questioned hesitantly.

"I am here, my friend. The blending was a success."

"Good, uh, that's good," Jack responded unsure of what else to say. He found he had been much more eloquent speaking in his head than he seemed to be verbally.

"When must you return to Earth?" Khepri prompted.

"Now," Jack replied simply, "General Hammond is anxious to get SG-1 back on active duty."

"I will miss you greatly, Jack O'Neill. Although a reluctant one at first, you proved to be a good host. Knowing you as I do I doubt it's possible, but try to stay out of trouble." Khepri teased with a grin and Jack couldn't help but think how odd it was to see her grin on the face of another instead of 'feeling' it.

"Being the leader of SG-1 I can guarantee it's not possible, but I'll do my best anyway; and I'll miss you too," Jack replied. "Anytime you want to visit Earth you and your host are welcome at my place. If you come at the right time of year maybe I'll even take you to a hockey game."

"I still do not understand the purpose of hitting a small disc with sticks," Khepri quipped knowing it would get Jack riled up.

"Why don't you walk me to the gate and I'll try to explain it to you… again," Jack bantered back.

Jacob watched the pair walk off together through the tunnels and smiled in satisfaction. He had a feeling that Jack, once the biggest skeptic of the Tok'ra cause, had now become one of its most ardent supporters on Earth. It was something he never would have thought possible, but he surely wasn't going to complain.


End file.
